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Notre Dame Basketball: The Irish Still Have A Lot of Season Left

By Noah Strackbein

Jan 24, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Bonzie Colson (35) dribbles as Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 24, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Bonzie Colson (35) dribbles as Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) defends in the first half at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /
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Notre Dame basketball fell to 1-4 against ranked opponents, but the season is still young, and there’s no reason to panic… yet.

Within the ACC, Notre Dame was the team to beat. Well, that lasted all of six games, and now the Irish are playing catch up with the powerhouses of the conference. But there is a lot of season left, and counting there’s no need to count the Irish out just yet.

Must Read: 3 Things We Learned Against Virginia

This is the problem with Notre Dame – They have no superstars. They have some of the toughest players in the country, but the Irish don’t have a superstar leading the way. In college basketball, without a playmaker, it’s nearly impossible to get from where Notre Dame is to the next level.

Notre Dame has three players who run this team. Matt Farrell, Bonzie Colson, and Steve Vasturia. Without these three, the Irish are exactly where they were supposed to be, outside the top 25. Coming into 2016-2017, Notre Dame had one player the country was excited to watch. That player, V.J. Beachem, has been the most underperforming star in South Bend.

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Why is Notre Dame finding trouble against top 25 teams you ask? Well, the answer is easy. It’s because Beachem is Notre Dame’s superstar and he

isn’t playing like it.

Here’s the thing, though. It’s still early in the season. Notre Dame may be 1-4 against ranked teams, but they’re 17-4 overall and 6-2 in the ACC. For a team who people believe is now doomed, the Irish have a lot going for them.

Notre Dame still plays four ranked ACC teams, including top-ranked conference team, North Carolina, and another matchup with Florida State and Louisville. Along with these, the Irish still have ten conference opponents left, and a chance to finish 27-4 heading into the ACC tournament.

Will the Irish win their last ten games? Probably not. With a few quality wins against UNC, FSU, or another ranked ACC opponent and Notre Dame is right back in the mix. They don’t have a superstar, and without one they’re going to struggle. But Notre Dame isn’t out of the mix just yet.

They’ve proven everyone wrong before, and it’ll be no surprise to watch them do it again. Add a few more resume builders to their win total, and the Irish are a team to beat come tournament time.

Next: How Will the Irish Bounce Back?

Right now, people see a struggling Notre Dame team. Without depth and a superstar, though, you have to expect the Irish to struggle.

With a lot of season left, this is just a slump. There is way to much action left to start panicking.